Justice League: Reign
by Al David
Summary: In this world, there is no Superman. There is no Justice League. When Starro invades, there is no one to defend the Earth...no one but Lex Luthor, who takes advantage of his new celebrity to become the fascist ruler of the United States. With the world's freedom at stake, a rebellion led by Clark Kent challenges President Luthor. In this tale of triumph and tragedy, no one is safe.
1. Welcome to Gotham

" _In the absence of justice, what is sovereignty but organized robbery?" –Saint Augustine_

* * *

Justice League: Reign

Chapter 1 – Welcome to Gotham

' _Ten years ago today, on December 21_ _st_ _, 2012, we tore ourselves from the jaws of annihilation. Ten years ago today, the human race united as one for the first time in history. Ten years ago today, we defeated our first and—God willing—last alien invader._

' _352 days prior to V-T (Victory-Terra) Day, it arrived. First came the darkness, as it eclipsed the sun over New York. Then, it opened its one red eye and from its form rained millions of its children. By the time the United States government had responded, over half the East Coast was lost to the invader's thrall, each innocent victim's identity surrendered to a sickening star mask._

' _Aliens existed. Our understanding of humanity and our role in the cosmos had changed forever. We had no weapon that could defeat the invader. It brushed off a dozen different nuclear warheads like they were flies. New York City was lost to excess radiation. Millions of people died. That was just the beginning._

' _Israel's Prime Minister dubbed the invader, "The Devil." Many of the world's leaders addressed it as such. We knew better. The Devil has a sense of humor. The invader only had its mission: the enslavement of the human race. Perhaps in spite, fear, or even defiance, we refused to lose_ our _sense of humor, declaring the invader, "Starro." The name stuck._

' _After almost two billion human beings were assimilated into Starro's consciousness and thus killed, after dozens of cities and a handful of countries were lost to nuclear holocaust, we emerged victorious. How? How had the human race—one so proud, yet so fragile—come out on top? A hero arose, and led us to salvation._

' _Alexander Luthor swore that he would win the war in less than a year. 352 days later, he did. The details of V-T Day are still kept classified, but the one thing we all know is that a satellite bearing the LexCorp logo burst through the air on that snowy December morning and destroyed Starro in one beautiful blue burst of light. We had won._

' _Under the newly elected President Luthor's guidance, the rest of North America and Greenland joined the United States. Much of the world followed America's lead, as smaller nations merged with their larger brethren, and allies united under one banner. The United Nations became the World Parliament, a global congress._

' _However, this piece exists not merely to recount our history, nor do I intend to bring back memories of lost loved ones. Everyone has someone to mourn, but that's not what V-T Day is about. It's about celebration. Thanks to President Luthor, since the war ended, the United States has become a technological titan, developing at a far greater rate than any other country in the world. Thanks to President Luthor, we have escaped the tyranny of the newly discovered nations of Themyscira and Atlantis with the help of The Silver Wall, which—to this day—keeps the United States safe from outside interference. Thanks to President Luthor, we live in prosperity once again._

' _So, eat, drink and be merry. Enjoy today, the greatest holiday in human history, granted to us by our magnificent leader._

' _Happy V-T Day!'_

"Great Caesar's Ghost…" whispered a hefty man with a mixture of disbelief and anger as he finished his fourth read-through.

Perry White ran his hands over his face, took a deep breath, and then clicked 'send.' A powerful hand clasped down upon his shoulder. Perry winced and looked up, red faced.

"That's it. That's the last thing I'll write for him," Perry declared.

His angry gaze was met by a blank plexiglass mask. Its owner chuckled, rattling the assault rifle strapped over his shoulder. The trooper was dressed in standard LexGuard gear: a full body black Kevlar suit emblazoned with a US flag on one shoulder and a green LG on the other.

"The President won't be happy to hear that," the trooper teased, "He really likes you, White."

His fellow soldier snorted. Perry grimaced.

"I'm glad," he said sarcastically. Standing, Perry continued, "I've written enough flat-faced propaganda for that man. I'm done. Consider me retired."

"You know what the President will say, won't you?" the second trooper asked.

Perry slipped on his jacket. His gaze darkened as it fell to the floor. As if with great difficulty, Perry sighed deeply and looked up at the trooper.

"Yeah. I'll keep my mouth shut," he resignedly said.

The troopers merely laughed derisively in response. Perry headed for the door, but just before he could reach it, they stopped him again.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" the first trooper said.

Perry swallowed, clenched his hands into fists, and crossed his right arm over his heart. He turned toward an enormous picture on the wall of a handsome bald man, who smiled toothily back at him, as if amused by his frustrated obedience.

With the utmost venom, Perry said, "God bless America. God bless Lex Luthor."

…

A battered speedboat rose and sank with the tide just outside of an enormous pipe. Sewage flushed past 'The Queen's Gambit,' and sank to the ocean floor. The boat's three occupants had their noses plugged to block out the smell, but that didn't stop one of the sea-fairers from gagging at the sight of the sludge.

"How much longer is this gonna take, Winn?" asked the red-haired twenty-something, whose thin frame shivered at the freezing ocean breeze, even under layers of clothing.

"Just another couple minutes…I hope," the youngest man, Winn, added with a whisper, as he intently focused on the computer in his lap.

"Well, hurry up. It's freezing out here…" the ginger replied, shivering as he blanched again at a new round of sewage.

"You can wear my coat, if you'd like, Jimmy," said the oldest of the trio, who stood half a head taller than even the lanky Jimmy Olsen.

The ginger looked at his longtime friend with mixed incredulity and shame. Clark's face may have been protected by a thick black beard and a mane of shaggy hair, but he wasn't wearing much below his neck. He had a couple layers, certainly, and it wasn't like he was wearing short sleeves, but still…

"You've only got a sweater on under that jacket. Keep it. I'll be fine," Jimmy admitted. After a brief glance at the enormous wall that extended from the top of the pipe to as far as the eye could see, the ginger quickly muttered, "We sure this is a good idea?"

"Nope," Winn immediately replied, just as Clark said, "Yes."

"That's reassuring," Jimmy grumbled.

"It'll all work out," Clark began, placing his hand on Jimmy's shoulder. "Luthor's forces won't think to look for us out here. The minute Winn shuts down their firewall, we'll be able to send our article—"

" _Your_ article," Jimmy interjected worriedly.

"With _your_ pictures, Jimmy," Clark continued, "And it'll go straight to Redbird—"

"Who we still don't know," Jimmy admitted.

"But who's proven himself an ally of the rebellion time and time again. He'll be able to do what we can't, and publish the article on every website, all across the country, potentially even worldwide. The word will get out about Luthor's misdeeds, about his lies. We can win this war without ever throwing a punch, or firing a gun," Clark said, his blue eyes twinkling beneath his thick glasses. His words were laced with genuine optimism, and Jimmy couldn't help but feel a little more hopeful.

Even still…

"But if they find us," Jimmy pushed.

"They won't."

"But if they do. I mean, we're in Gotham City. This is Luthor central!" Jimmy argued.

"If they find us," Clark sighed, "We'll act accordingly."

Anger was now bubbling up inside Jimmy. His friend's constant optimism had quickly gone from endearing to irritating. He was acting stupid!

"And do what, Clark?! We can't fly away!" Jimmy shouted.

Silence. Clark's expression darkened, and he looked away. Jimmy immediately felt ashamed of himself. Clark wasn't an easy person to offend, so what he'd said must have really struck a chord. He had to have been thinking it, though, right? Clark couldn't have been that naïve? Or was it something else?

"Um…guys, I'm done. All I have to do is click 'enter,' and The Silver Wall's…er, firewall will come down and we'll have access to the Internet," Winn explained. He turned his gaze toward Clark. "Last chance if we wanna back down."

Without looking up, Clark said, "Do it."

As Winn hit 'enter,' a loud hum echoed over the city. What they couldn't see from their position behind the wall was that all of Gotham had blacked out. The city was without power.

"Shit! Something is wrong. The Internet's down," Winn said, typing furiously. "It must be tied to the firewall, or…"

"Jimmy…" Clark quietly said, staring up at the sky. "Get us out of here!"

"Clark…" Jimmy began. He followed Clark's gaze, and saw a golden spotlight up in the clouds.

" _NOW!"_

Jimmy muttered something incoherently as he hurried over to the driver's seat. He twisted the key, but the boat merely sputtered.

"No no no no," Jimmy said, getting louder with each word. "Come on!"

Suddenly, they could hear a loud ' _SHOOM'_ as something flew toward them from the other side of the wall.

"Jimmy!" Clark yelled.

Jimmy twisted the key again, and the boat roared to life, zooming away into the sewers. As they swerved between pipes (Clark forced to sit down due to the sudden twists and turns), the water level began to rise around them.

"What the hell…?" Winn muttered, having since shut his laptop. "The water wasn't this high when we came through, was it?"

The boat suddenly lurched to a stop. Clark opened his mouth to scold Jimmy, but cut himself off when he saw why the young man had stopped. In the distance, a wave soared toward them. Someone was flooding the sewers.

Jimmy began to slowly reverse their speedboat. The wave got closer and closer. Winn's eyes widened in fear. Just seconds before the wave would have crashed into them, Jimmy managed to turn the boat and send it racing off down a different pipe. However, they quickly discovered the rising water levels were the least of their worries.

"There's something swimming towards us," Clark said, looking out the back of the boat.

Winn shook his head in disbelief. "That doesn't make any sense. What would…oh."

Clark was right. An enormous shadow tore through the water like it was nothing. Even worse, it was gaining on them.

"Jimmy, can this thing go any faster?" Winn asked.

"I'm pushing her for all she's worth. What the hell is going on?" Jimmy demanded, forced to keep his eyes on the piping in front of him.

"There's a…a thing behind us," Winn stammered.

"A thing?! What type of—"

"A crocodile," Clark and Winn said simultaneously.

"A—WHAT?!" Jimmy exclaimed, swerving right.

They were half right. The beast swimming towards them indeed had dark green scales and razor sharp knives for teeth, but it was shaped like a man. The monstrous humanoid even wore black pants that began to tear under the strain of the sewage.

Clark frowned upon noticing the croc's muscular arms and legs. "It looks human."

"One of Luthor's experiments?" Winn wondered.

"Who cares what it is—we've got to kill it!" Jimmy said, taking a second to slide back the flare gun with his foot.

"We are not going to murder anyone or anything!" Clark demanded, as Winn picked up the flare gun.

"I don't think we could if we tried anyway," Winn said, looking down at the small contraption.

"Do something!" Jimmy demanded.

"Too late," Clark whispered.

The beast was upon them, leaping out of the sewage toward the Queen's Gambit. It bit right through a chunk of the beam, forcing Clark and Winn back. The techie raised the flare gun. Before Clark could stop him, and upon the croc's second jump, he fired.

The flare burned into the beast's skin, causing it to sink back in the water for a moment. It roared with pain, and glared at Winn with its dark, yellow eyes. The young man gulped.

The croc swam toward them faster than ever. It would reach them in seconds, despite Jimmy's impressive handling of the maze of piping.

"Don't give up. Find a way to publish the article," Clark said, standing up.

"Sit down!" Winn shouted, the boat rocking as Jimmy turned it. Clark merely grasped the edge of the boat, and bent his knees.

Winn began to pick up on Clark's motives. Panicking, he stammered, "N-no, Clark, you can't—"

Clark gave him a stern look that spoke volumes. Winn shrunk back in acceptance. The croc reached jumping distance. Clark readied himself.

"What's he doing—?" Jimmy quieted when he heard a splash behind him.

Clark had just tackled the croc out of the air and into the sewage.

"NO!" Jimmy shouted, slowing down.

"He—he wanted us to leave him," Winn said, looking regretfully back at the chaotic splashing behind them.

Jimmy shook his head. "We can't just…"

" _He'll be fine."_

Jimmy and Winn both looked around to discover the source of the new, deep voice, but couldn't see anyone. They turned back to the splashing. Crimson blood had begun to seep into the water.

Jimmy mouthed, "No."

Suddenly, four shadows dived into the sewage.

…

Just minutes ago, Clark had been caught in a hopeless battle against the croc-man, who he now realized was wearing LuthorGuard sweats. The beast also sported a metal ring around its neck, one that looked suspiciously like a shock collar.

The croc-man was on its home turf, Clark could tell. He didn't stance a chance. However, that didn't stop him from fighting. He needed to give the others enough time to escape. So, he kicked and beat at the beast, even as it tore through his skin with its claws. Eventually, the croc managed to bite through his clothing and into his forearm. Clark swallowed water as he tried to scream, feeling bones break under its teeth. This was it.

Or so he thought.

As Clark's vision faded, four shadows crashed down upon the beast and into the water. He saw flashes of light, and suddenly the croc-man lay limp and floated to the surface, still breathing. Gloved hands roughly gripped his shoulders and pulled him out of the water. Before he knew it, he was back on the Queen's Gambit being resuscitated.

Clark coughed out water and gasped for air. He blinked twice. He must be dead, or at least seeing things incorrectly. That chiseled face, the rugged scruff, his dark blue eyes and pitch black hair…it couldn't be. The man who had saved his life, who stood above him, looked just like Bruce Wayne.

"I can't believe it…" Jimmy muttered incredulously, as Winn remained speechless. "You're…you're Bruce Wayne. But you're…"

"Dead?" the man finished, turning his intense gaze to the ginger. "There's a lot you don't know."

"W-why…? Urgh—how?" Clark grunted, as one of Bruce's three young lackeys wrapped a tattered black band tightly around his wound.

"All in due time," Bruce said, kneeling down beside Clark.

He gently pressed against a point just above Clark's collarbone. Suddenly, everything faded to black.

* * *

 **Thanks to Sonny Daye for motivating me to try something a bit different, a bit darker than my usual cup 'a tea. I've been tossing around this idea for a while now, and I'm glad I've finally gotten to it.**

 **Please drop a review if you feel like it. It would mean the world to me.**

' **Til next time!**


	2. Powerless

Justice League: Reign

Chapter 2 – Powerless

 _I'm trapped, but my wrists and ankles aren't bound. It would be pointless; I could rip them free with a flick. No, I'm trapped by those emerald eyes, by that eerily cheery look. He's terrifying, because I know he's right. He's right, because he's echoing what I told him. I have to change, and even when you want it, change is terrifying. That's it. That's why. Lex Luthor is terrifying because he is my change incarnate._

 _Lex looks away to mix a couple black and white chemicals. He drops powdered green stone into the mixture as it heats up above a gray flame, and pushes his shaggy bangs back so he can see properly. A few seconds later, and he's looking at me again, smiling, holding a syringe up like its Excalibur, God's gift to humanity._

" _I—I don't know if this is a good idea. What if something goes wrong?" My voice is caught between a boy's tenor and a man's baritone. It sounds as unnatural as I feel._

 _Lex's smile fades, and he simply asks, "What matters more to you: your humanity or your life?"_

 _Everything I believe now clashes with everything I was then. I know better, but he, Clark, doesn't—I didn't. So I feel myself nod Lex on, and for the first time I realize green is not the only color I should see, this is not the present, and I am not in control. I just can't figure out why, because panic wipes my mind blank. I forget my own name, as Lex curls his lips into a wry smile._

 _I struggle to scream, "Stop," at my younger self, but my lips instead purse and say, "Do it."_

 _The pain suddenly hits. Aching, weakness, as the serum's radiation washes over me. Then the needle enters me, and I feel as if I'm on fire. Lights flicker on as gray rays from above color me darker. I grip the arms of the chair, denting them, before discovering I can't break them entirely as the room spins around me._

 _Black and white spots dot my vision, and suddenly I'm in a corn field. I rise up. For a second I think I can fly again, but I can't feel the wind. Only the hot leather seat beneath me presses against my skin. I see a rundown green truck in the distance, and I follow it without a choice in the matter._

 _The driver—a well-built man with glasses—looks panicked as he rockets down the road. It doesn't take long to figure out why. A shadow looms in the distance. Smaller shadows fall like rain underneath it. The Great Shadow looks slow, but I realize that's just an illusion of its size. It's nearly overtaken the truck._

 _A small green-roofed house is in the distance. The Great Shadow will reach it soon, and for the first time I feel fear sink into my gut. This is familiar. Why is this familiar?_

 _The man reaches the house just as a smaller shadow crashes through the roof of his truck. He dives out the door, narrowly escaping, but despite his immediate peril he sprints forward. A crack sounds like a gun, as a portion of the roof caves in beneath a smaller shadow. The man screams, but I can't hear anything._

 _We enter the house. The man yells out at a name. I know it, but can't hear it. He looks to the kitchen. She is there, waiting patiently…a mindless drone. Another crack echoes, but the man's instincts kick in again. He dodges a smaller shadow and stamps on it, smashing it. Lime green blood oozes out beneath his boot._

 _The man walks over to the gray-haired woman, on whose face rests a smaller shadow. It's a star. I see it now. The Great Shadow is in fact a Great Star, and my mind goes blank with fear again._

 _The man traps the woman in his embrace, even as she tries to attack him. She struggles, but he's stronger. He drags her to the ground, and sobs into her shoulder. Another star falls through the ceiling, and he is forced to abandon the woman to escape its control. Yet again, he manages to slay a star. But the woman? She, too, is dead, and he knows it. I know it._

 _Information floods my brain. By this point, we already knew it was pointless to try to remove the stars. The old men in the ivory towers, they told us it was hopeless. They told us they'd tried. Those lost couldn't be saved. Removing a star merely meant removing the one thing keeping the victims alive._

 _The man silently cries as he walks down to the basement. The woman follows just behind, and I remain at her back, trapped in a chair with no restraints. No more stars fall from the sky. The monster is gone, scared away by God-knows-what._

 _When I reach the man, he is holding a shotgun. I try to speak again, to say his name, to say_ her _name, but I can't. I'm not in control._

 _The man raises the gun, and although I can't hear him, I know what he says. He tells the woman he loves her. He tells her how thankful he is to have been raised by her. He tells her dad is waiting._

 _Finally, one word breaks through the spell: "Mom."_

 _Bang._ _Green blood mixes with red, and I remember. I am the man, holding his mother's corpse. I am trapped in a leather seat, half of what God intended. I am crippled, lost, and weak, but I swear I am not beaten._

 _The image fades in my blue tears as they fall into the blood, and the scene changes again. I am still in the chair, and yet I am standing. I know this is real, but it's a memory, and yet it's new; it's fake._

 _I look down at my parents' graves, and begin to tear through the reburied ground with a knife. It doesn't take long. I stand up, and I pray, and I cry, but I am not beaten. A ragged dirt shield of my creation stares back at me, its message clear. The 'S' means only one thing._

 _Hope._

…

Clark awoke into a world of color, his face wet. He wiped his eyes, and felt a pounding ache in his left arm. The wound, he realized, should have hurt more. Freshly wrapped bandages didn't kick-start the healing process in such a timely manner.

As if sent to answer his question, an all too recognizable voice said, "They used this crazy machine to open up your arm and fix it all up. Then, they dosed you up on some pain meds and a super healing steroid or something, and left you to sleep. Said it'll all be healed in a few weeks if you don't strain it."

Clark looked over at his longtime friend and confidant, Jimmy Olsen, who was sitting on a lawn chair at the edge of the small, dimly lit room.

"Billionaires, amirite?" Jimmy remarked, smirking.

Forcing himself up, much to Jimmy's dismay, Clark looked around the room. While it had spots of color, it was rather plain like a barrack.

"We're just outside the grounds," Jimmy explained, reluctantly motioning Clark through the door. "Listen, Clark, you've only been out a few hours. You should probably keep resting."

But Clark wouldn't have it, and he passed Jimmy by, exiting through the doorway. Jimmy quickly followed just behind.

The two were met by a long hallway. Clark looked both ways, each side ended by a door that led to stairway. The one on the left glinted with light, and looked to open up outside. The one on the right was impossible to see out of; Clark figured it led down below. So, he turned left.

"Uh, Clark, I think we should go this way. Wayne'll want to see you, and he's not the type of guy I'd keep waiting," Jimmy pointed back but followed Clark nonetheless.

"I'm sorry, Jimmy, but I…I need a breath of fresh air," Clark half-lied. He also wasn't intent on throwing himself back into the world of the rebellion just yet.

The sunlight bit into Clark's eyes as he exited the stairwell. The door, lying horizontally on the ground, looked like a bomb shelter, and upon looking around, Clark realized they were in the middle of the woods a couple miles outside of Gotham City, which gleamed in the distance. He turned back, and saw what remained of a once-great mansion: ash.

"If you didn't believe he was Bruce Wayne already…" Jimmy muttered, looking at the black-sodden ground.

Clark stepped forward, and—

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust."

Jimmy yelped as he and Clark swiveled around to discover Bruce Wayne standing just outside the bomb shelter, looking grimly past them at the grounds. His dark blue eyes moved to meet Clark's gaze.

"It doesn't matter if you're made of brick or bone, everything ends the same way—as dirt in the ground, insignificant," Bruce said.

Clark cocked an eyebrow. "And you're _leading_ a rebellion?"

Bruce looked back at the city. "The beginning and the end don't matter. It's what happens between the two that counts." He glanced snidely back at Clark. "Is that better?"

The bespectacled man shrugged. "I think it's a little more honest."

Bruce gave Clark one last dismissive look, then reentered the tunnel, saying, "If you're interested in publishing your article, then follow me."

Clark exchanged a brief excited glance with Jimmy, and then hurried after the dark-clothed man.

"I want to start by asking you the obvious question: how are you still alive?" Clark wondered.

"This isn't an interview, Kent," Bruce retorted, leading the two through the doorway at the end of the hall.

Clark slouched slightly, disappointed, but his expression quickly changed when he made his way down the first flight of stairs and saw what awaited them down below. Bruce had outfitted an entire cave with computer monitors and different stations, including one which Clark noticed looked like an infirmary. Different vehicles were parked in a garage that led to a sealed exit, and a single trophy case stood at the edge of the cave to the right of a locker area.

"That was my reaction," Jimmy mused, glancing at Clark, who stared open-mouthed at the impressive set up.

After Bruce motioned them further downward, they walked the rest of the way without speaking, leaving the two to look at everything they could. Even to Jimmy, who had already seen the cave, it was still awe-inspiring.

At the bottom of the steps, the trio were met a tall, dark-haired young man, who was holding a digital tablet in his hand. He was as handsome—if not moreso—than Bruce, and he looked as if he could be his cousin. However, while the onetime billionaire always sported a scowl, the new arrival's smile couldn't have been brighter.

"Kent, this is my lieutenant, Dick Grayson," Bruce explained, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Pleasure to meet you," Dick said, extending his hand.

Clark shook it, and was unsurprised to discover the young man had a firm grip. "Pleasure's all mine," he said, smiling back.

"Bruce is the type of guy that prefers being water boarded to everyday human interaction, so I'll be happy to take over the tour from here," Dick joked, motioning away.

Wayne's scowl deepened, but he waved the others off. Clark and Jimmy happily followed Dick, despite their desire to learn a little more about the enigmatic Bruce Wayne. As it turned out, Dick had, at least, some answers, but first came introductions.

"The two kids sparring over there are Duke and Harper. Think of them as our interns," Dick explained, pointing over at a fit black teen in a red tank and a white girl who seemed to treat punk rock like a religion.

"The lovely ladies overseeing their training are Cassandra and Stephanie. I'd avoid serious conversations with Cass; she talks even less than Bruce," Dick continued, as two girls in their late teens waved back at them.

Clark recognized them as two of the kids who had helped save his life. The perky blonde, Stephanie, was the one who'd patched up his arm. Cass, a petite Asian girl, had helped Bruce toss him onto the Queen's Gambit.

Speaking of, the speedboat was parked in a dock beside the garage. Sitting casually atop an enormous vehicle shrouded underneath black cloth was the last of Clark's saviors, a boy with hair brighter red than Jimmy's, who couldn't have been much younger than Dick. Lighting a cigarette, the boy looked up and smirked.

"And that's…" Dick began, frowning, but the young man was already approaching them, extending his hand in greeting.

"I'm Jason," the young man said, shaking Clark's hand.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Jason—" Dick growled, ripping the cigarette from his mouth.

"—don't smoke?" Jason finished. "Give me a break."

"If Bruce caught you…"

"You ever think maybe I do this to get a rise out of the old man? Christ, it's not like I'm stupid. It just gets fucking boring around here," Jason grumbled. The two were nearly touching noses at this point.

"Stop acting like a child!"

"Stop being such a little suck up!"

"You're 21, not thirteen—"

"Yeah, and what's age matter in all this bullshit?!" Jason backed up, and motioned to the sparring teens. Dick's face fell, so he continued, recognizing he was winning the argument, "How old were you when he brought you in, again? Fourteen?" Jason looked at Clark and Jimmy. "Me, I was thirteen. Thirteen _fucking_ years old," he turned back to Dick, "and you're talking about children? What the hell are 'children?' I think the word you're looking for is _soldier._ "

With that, Jason stomped off, back up the stairs.

Dick sighed and looked at the reporter duo, "I'm sorry about that. Jason's…he gets restless. Bruce hasn't let him out in days."

' _Let him out? Like a dog?'_ Clark thought, frowning.

"Anyway, there's another person you'll want to meet, but first, I might as well answer any questions you have," Dick said.

"What the hell is going on?" Jimmy blurted.

Dick smirked, paused for a moment to think, and then said, "You ever followed Bruce's story?"

Clark shook his head. He knew the billionaire was an orphan, and had gone missing after one of Starro's burning tentacles crushed his mansion and set it on fire, but that was all. Jimmy, on the other hand, seemed to be an expert.

"Orphaned at the age of eight, he is—or was, before Luthor bought it—the heir to Wayne Enterprises. After his sixteenth birthday, Bruce travelled overseas and disappeared for twelve years. For a long time, people assumed he was dead," Jimmy excitedly said, before adding with a blush, "My parents, er, knew his parents really well. Trust fund buddies, or something like that."

Dick offered a smile that seemed to ease Jimmy's embarrassment, and said, "Bruce suddenly appeared again on his twenty-eighth birthday. He came back a bumbling drunken playboy, and died just that. But that's where the story rings false," Dick began, passing the med bay, "Bruce had spent the previous twelve years training and studying all across the world, learning the sort of things that might tip off others to your intention to fight crime."

"He was a vigilante?" Clark realized.

"That's awesome!" Jimmy exclaimed.

"He tried to be," Dick admitted, pointing back at what Clark could now tell was an armored costume in the trophy case. "But Gotham didn't need him anymore. Luthor had already cleaned up most of the city, and quickly bought out his company. When Starro arrived about a year later, Bruce used his resources to fight it, but to no avail. He gave up his crusade…until he caught wind of Luthor's schemes."

"Gotham City is touted as the only crime-free city on the planet, but that's a lie. The city's just got a new brand of criminal. LexGuard troops rape and rob, Luthor's appointed officials brutalize the poor, and the outright homeless are offed. Tensions are running high like never before. All it'll take to rip up the foundation of corruption is one well written slam piece, a few choice pictures, and a video."

Clark nodded knowingly. "Our article."

"That brings us to the last introduction…" Dick led them toward the enormous computer console at the back of the cave.

On their way there, Clark noticed Winn sitting on a stool beside a shrouded figure in a larger chair. The young techie said something, and a youthful voice boomed with laughter. Winn joined in, and upon catching his breath, noticed Clark and Jimmy.

"Hey, guys, you've gotta meet Tim—" Winn began.

Dick finished, "He's our resident geek."

The chair swiveled around, revealing a thin boy in his late teens. Most of Tim's appearance matched Bruce and Dick's—did the gruff ex-billionaire look for that in boys, Clark wondered—and the trio could have been a videogame's options for small, medium and large builds of the same character. Tim, however, had one notable difference. He had a long scar under his left eye.

"Nice to meet you," Jimmy said, shaking his hand.

"Likewise," Tim replied, now moving onto Clark.

"Guys, you're not gonna believe our luck…" Winn was practically seething with excitement. _"Tim is Redbird."_

Both men resisted the urge to scream, "What?" Instead, Clark optioned for, "Can you publish our article?"

"You have no qualms, then?" came Bruce's voice, just behind them.

"Jesus Christ, man, you have to stop doing that!" Jimmy stammered, after recoiling in shock.

Bruce looked at Clark. The reporter frowned, picking up on something that the others weren't.

"You're fine with us only publishing it in Gotham?" Bruce clarified.

Rage bubbled up inside Clark, and he stopped himself from screaming. He looked back at Winn, who appeared as surprised as he was. In fact, the techie quickly turned to his new friend with a look of betrayal.

"What's he talking about?" Winn pushed.

Tim's face glowed with embarrassment. He glanced away, and scratched the end of his nose.

"I…I lied to you guys. I can't publish the article nationwide. It would take too long, and Luthor would find us," Tim ashamedly explained. He looked up, only to meet Bruce's disappointed gaze.

"You lied to them?" he growled.

Anger replaced embarrassment, and Tim said, "Who do you think taught me to do whatever was necessary to get the job done?"

Bruce scowled, and looked away. Clark massaged his temples and glanced between his friends. Tim struggled to find the right words to apologize with. Dick merely looked out of place.

"You have to publish it anyway," Bruce demanded. "Imagine the good you'll do for Gotham."

Clark looked up into Bruce's eyes, matching his ferocity, "'Have to?' We don't have to do anything. It's our article. No, you want to talk about necessities, someone, somewhere is going to have to put their life on the line to stop Luthor, and right now you're willing to risk ten years of work to save your own hide."

"It's not a matter of self-preservation. Gotham is my priority. If we lose our resources, if we are forced to run, if we _die,_ then there is no guarantee Gotham will be saved!" Bruce growled.

"So you're not a coward; you're selfish!" Clark shouted. By now, all eyes in the cave were on the two of them.

"Step off your soapbox! If you had the chance to save your little hometown, you'd drop everything to do it," Bruce spat. Clark froze for a second. "Yes, I know everything about you, _Clark_. I know who you lost, I know what you lost, and I know the secrets you won't even tell them!" Bruce roared, pointing toward Jimmy and Winn.

"Be the selfless man you pretend to be. Take a risk. Win an enormous victory for the rebellion, and _set. Gotham. Free_ ," Bruce finished.

Clark stepped back, gazing at the ground. He couldn't help it; he saw his parent's grave. The 'S.' He remembered the promise he made them.

' _I won't give up, no matter the odds. I will not take a life, but I will do everything else in my power to make a difference. I won't be selfish…not anymore.'_

Clark looked up at Jimmy. "Give him the flashdrive."

The ginger stammered, "B-but—"

" _Jimmy,"_ Clark pushed.

Bruce's expression softened, and his eyes glimmered ever slightly as Jimmy opened up the back of his camera and removed a flashdrive from it. The red-haired young man reluctantly handed it to Tim, who seemed just as doubtful in taking it.

"Once I publish this article, Lex's digital enforcement division will eliminate every trace of it in just under two hours. From then on, any time it's published, they'll immediately identify its digital signature and wipe it out like a virus. You'll never be able to publish it anywhere else again," Tim warned.

"We know," Clark sighed and said, "Do it."

Minutes later, at 6:42 am, the deed was done. Now, they just had to wait.

So, Clark returned to his room, alone, sat down in bed, and did all he could: he hoped for the best.

* * *

 **Thanks to everyone who checked out the series, and an even bigger thank you to everyone who reviewed. Keep it up if you're enjoying the story.**

 **Spiderman1fan: Thanks for following me to this story!**

 **AnonMetro: You'll find out just how true or dishonest that propaganda is in the second arc.**

 **Sonny Daye: Glad you liked it! Thanks for inspiring me to try something a little different!**

 **Nhokmiyu: Well, here it is! :)**

 **Centurion: So, here's something a bit longer. Hope you like it!**

 **Anon: So…I hope I don't offend you if you're not a bot, but, well, that's the issue—I can't tell if you're a bot or not. I'm thankful for your reviews, but try to condense them if you can. If you don't, I'll know it's spam. Thanks!**


	3. Message

So this absolutely sucks to write. Anyway, here's the thesis: Reign is cancelled and in recompense I'm going to tell you guys the plot (in as much detail as I can, having not quite finished planning it). If you liked the story at all, please read on, or at the very least skip to the end for a teasing of a story to come, one I think any fan of Reign will enjoy.

My reasoning for cancelling this is quite simple. I'm just really not feeling this story, which is ironic because counting reviews per chapter it's easily my most popular fic. On the plus side, that means you know I don't do this to get "Fanfiction Famous," haha.

Truth is, much of Reign reads to me like I'm trying too hard to be dark and edgy, which is fairly accurate. I also have to admit it was overstuffed with cameos and characters because I so desperately wanted to write everyone. I had the general conceit of the story (Superman lost his powers as a teen, Luthor is president, pseudo-post-apocalyptic) in my mind for a long time, but honestly I'd never written it because it had always seemed so unlike me. It felt generic and overly edgy. Now, I don't think issues 1 and 2 are awful by any stretch of the imagination. I began to intentionally and naturally develop themes in a fashion I hadn't done in any prior fanfic I'd ever written, which added a level of depth and sophistication to my writing I was proud of. However, at the end of the day the general plot just felt forced.

I mean, my problem is less with the first two issues, although those were flawed. The coming few chapters would have thrown character after character at you guys. Few would have had legitimate arcs (Clark, Bruce, Lex, Diana, and maybe Lois Lane). A number of the ones introduced would have been there merely to be killed for shock value. Of the ones introduced already, six of the characters would have been killed by the end of the story. Yes, it would provide the appropriate atmosphere and would be there to prove that anyone could go at any time, but, like The Walking Dead, it just felt like it was largely there for shock value and to make the story excessively dark and depressing. The story's maturity lay in its complex themes and character arcs, not so much in the deaths (like, again, the Walking Dead), but that wasn't enough for me because of my handling of characters like Bruce and Jason.

Yeah, I got flack for those two. I very consciously made Bruce a nihilist (a choice I think could work) and Jason a whiny, angry bitch. I think Jason's anger was well placed, and he introduced a topic I was going to develop (child vigilantism/warfare/violence), and yes, I was starting Bruce at the absolute bottom so he could build himself back up with the help of Clark, but even still I just felt like the execution wasn't there.

So, you get it. I'm very critical of my work and I wasn't happy with Reign. I couldn't bring myself to write something that just felt forced. Now, onto the plot. Keep in mind this is a very rough draft of what was to come, and is missing a lot of key plot points, theme developments, and character arcs, because I was far from finished planning this out. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

 _ACT ONE: CHAPTERS 1-8: A Dark Knight in Gotham_

-You read 1 and 2. Good job and thanks for supporting me! :)

-CHAPTER THREE, V-T DAY, opens with Jimmy forcing Clark awake. They've gotta run because Luthor found them. Turns out Tim was wrong; Luthor's forces are better than they imagined.

-They enter the Cave, where everyone is panicking and destroying all the computers and info they can. Bruce activates a self-destruct sequence and reveals the BATMOBILE, which he hasn't used in years. He forces Clark and Jimmy into it, as Winn hitches a ride with Tim, and everyone else grabs their own.

-They're stopped outside by LexGuard troops who are led by BARBARA GORDON.

-Bruce and the others Gotham Knights (Dick's nickname for them and how he introduces them to Babs, who is shocked to discover Bruce Wayne is alive, because, y'know, everyone thought the billionaire was dead) fight off the LexGuard. Jason, in a surprising show of heroism, takes a bullet for Dick. He is beaten to death as the others manage to escape.

-In the city, they discover people are rioting. It's chaos. LexGuard troops are actively gunning down civilians, who have painted giant red smiles onto their faces (with blood or paint, the Knights can't tell). A leader proclaims the smiles are there to symbolize the forced smiles they've worn for years under Luthor's regime. They're fighting back.

-Oswald Cobblepot aka the Penguin, the mayor of Gotham and Luthor's chief underling in the city, speaks over large monitors like those in Times Square and tries to quell the rioters. He fails.

-Murder, rape, destruction everywhere. Bruce is horrified and Clark pushes him to actively try to stop it as a voice of hope. Bruce refuses, accepting the city's fate. This is how they push out Luthor.

-So Clark exits the car, speaks proudly about how this is not how they change things, how they need to have hope. Jimmy takes pictures. Bruce manages to tackle Clark out of the way of a sniper, and, realizing the situation is hopeless, the three escape to a base Bruce has. The trick? It's underneath Arkham, which has been transformed by Luthor into a prison and a base for his troops.

-CHAPTER FOUR, ARKHAM: Some character building scenes at the start, as the Knights recover. Duke and Harper are revealed to be in a relationship. Likewise for Tim and Stephanie. Harper's brother, Cullen, was killed in the Starro War.

-Clark is devastated, but Bruce is impressed with him nonetheless. He's reminded of himself in the past.

-The Knights use the chaos of the riots to begin to take over Arkham. This is an action-heavy issue where Jimmy is shot (but not immediately killed), Bruce fights and beats Killer Croc again, and Duke is used as a hostage by Victor Zsasz as Harper faces him with a gun for the cliffhanger.

-CHAPTER FIVE, VICTORY AT A COST:

-Harper makes the choice to shoot Zsasz, killing him and saving Duke.

-Steph dresses Jimmy's wound, but it's serious.

-Bruce confronts Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow, the head of the base, but is forced to fight Deadshot, his chief enforcer, so Crane escapes. Clark saves Bruce's life, and together the two overcome Deadshot, incapacitating him.

-Meanwhile, Harper and Dick run across Crane. Fight briefly. Bruce and Clark catch up to them. Harper blows out Crane's brains, much to Bruce's shock. The girl has changed.

-The remaining LexGuard run away. The Knights have taken Arkham.

-However, Clark is forced to say goodbye to Jimmy, who dies of blood loss.

-Later that night, as the Knights recover (Bruce won't speak to Harper, and Duke comforts her), a masked figure crashes through the roof into Arkham, surprising them all.

-CHAPTER SIX, THE LIVING WEAPON: The new arrival quickly kills Tim before anyone can react. Bruce is fast enough to try to stop the agender (it's impossible to tell under its suit) superhuman, and manages to avoid its attack. Harper shoots it, but bullets bounce off.

-Harper is the next target, but Duke takes the blow, being punched through the chest.

-Bruce calls for a retreat, knocking the superhuman back with a grenade. Clark is shocked because the being is as fast and strong as he was.

-They try to escape as they leave traps for the superhuman, managing to slow it down. However, they're met outside by Gordon and her troops. The commander stops the superhuman for a moment, and explains it's Luthor's secret weapon. He'd unleashed it to crush them, and then to destroy Gotham as a warning to any who would oppose him. Babs is, admittedly, very conflicted about this.

-Bruce takes advantage of this, and tries to convince Barbara, and anyone else, to join them.

-After reminding her of her father, and a poignant speech about the cycle of violence and purpose of hope, Babs pulls a different gun from her belt and shoots the superhuman, who is too shocked to avoid the bullet—a green glowing bullet, one that Clark recognizes is made of Kryptonite. The superhuman is temporarily stopped by the wound in her gut, but it's not mortal, so she manages to leap away from Babs to avoid the rest of her shots.

-Babs' own troops begin to overwhelm her and one manages to shoot her in the stomach with an armor piercing round, crippling her,

-Bruce saves her by pulling her into the Batmobile. In the process of leaving, Tim is shot and killed.

-Tim's death being the last straw, Harper decides to stay behind as a distraction so the others can escape. She dies fighting, allowing the rest to escape.

-Clark manages to convince Bruce to infiltrate Lex Tower (used to be Wayne Tower) to access all the monitors in the city to reach the people. He wants to give them a message of hope, and Bruce realizes it's their last chance.

-CHAPTER SEVEN, THE LAST LAUGH: Lex's business hub and home base in Gotham is Lex Tower, but nonetheless Bruce crafts what he thinks is a plan for a suicide mission to take it over.

-In an abandoned building, they craft the plan. Bruce gives everyone the option to back out, but no one will, although they're all devastated.

-Babs is saved by Steph, although she's crippled. She elects to stay behind.

-Clark inspires them with a brief speech about the ones they've lost and the hope in the future. Only Bruce is unfazed, and the two have a brief discussion where Clark admits he realizes they will likely fail, but he's now willing to risk everything for Gotham. He now understands the importance of it, its symbolism of Lex's empire.

-So, they begin their mission (in a very Mission Impossible fashion, as Bruce reveals the plan in a flashback while they execute it in the present time).

-It goes surprisingly well as they stealthily take down LexGuard troops (with the help of the chaos of rioters), until they're discovered near the top.

-Cass, Dick, and Stephanie stay behind to fight off troops led by Firefly, who isn't costumed but wields a flamethrower and mercilessly burns his own men to get at them.

-Bruce, Clark and Winn go to confront Cobblepot but are met by Clayface, his bodyguard. The two manage to defeat him and then enter the main office, meeting Edward Nygma, Luthor's chief strategist in Gotham, and Oswald Cobblepot.

-The two manage to handily defeat them and Winn accesses the communications server. However, Nygma escapes from his restraints and leaps out the window, surprising everyone. However, he is picked up by Man-Bat, his escape plan. Bruce deduces he'd contacted the beast with a special frequency produced by his staff, which he proves true when he examines the staff. Cobblepot is pissed he's been abandoned.

-Clark is given his chance to make a speech over the city's comms system (like Cobbepot did in issue 3), and does, saying those who stop the wanton destruction and chaos, and join the rebellion will have the last laugh. They will stop Luthor, and for the first time, he accepts they'll do it at any cost and with any means necessary.

-CHAPTER EIGHT, NO MAN'S LAND: Dick, Cass, and Steph manage to beat Firefly and his troops.

-The riots cool a bit, but much of the city keeps going as they're egged on by their leader (who's heavily implied to be this universe's Joker).

-Bruce, for the first time, truly accepts its fate and demands they abandon it. Clark reluctantly agrees

-They're surprised when helicopters fly in. It's the rebellion! They gun down much of the LexGuard troops, to Clark's dismay.

-Oliver Queen is leading the rebels and firing on his own (with guns). He drags Clark in and their prisoners (Cobblepot, etc.) and begins to pull out those who wish to be rescued, including all of the remaining Knights.

-They go back to the abandoned building to find Barbara has disappeared. Bruce leaves nonetheless.

-The Knights leave, as the rebels continue to fight off LexGuard troops and save those who wish to be saved.

-The Knights go to the rebellion base in Bludhaven, a city with relatively lax Luthor control.

-As everyone is treated for their injuries, Oliver and a depowered Dinah Lance discuss what happened with Clark. It turns out they're lovers, the other two leaders of the rebellion, and they're both more war mongering than Clark. Wally West, a grunt, runs in with a message.

-Oliver and Di lead Clark and Bruce (who forces himself into a position of leadership) to the docks, where they're met by a large alien-looking ship. Out step Arthur Curry of Atlantis and Diana of Themyscira, who introduce themselves as the newly wed King and Queen of the combined empire of New Atlantis, which extends its reach to Themyscira and Greece.

 _ACT TWO: CHAPTERS 9-12: The New World_

-So…this is where my outline gets funky. I hadn't really planned this out, but basically it's a four issue arc of politics and scheming. Cobblepot is used as leverage.

-Months pass

-The rebellion moves their operations to London, where Clark butts heads with the others about whether or not they should flood/nuke the East Coast of America, which includes Metropolis, the new capital of America and where Luthor resides.

-Meanwhile, Luthor is introduced as the World Parliament debates with him as he hints at his intentions to conquer the world and threatens them because of their siding with the rebellion. Some cameos of international heroes as they lead their countries.

-John Stewart, a rebellion leader, sides with Ollie, Di, and Arthur in the nuking option.

-Bruce, Diana, and a majority of the everyday grunts side with Clark.

-Clark is nearly assassinated at some point (hadn't decided on who does the deed), and a mystery kicks in.

-It turns out Dinah convinced Oliver to send the assassin to get rid of the leading voice that's preventing them from taking action, and after revealing the corruption, Oliver and Di are imprisoned and Clark has more power than ever. Even John has to accept his leadership.

-Clark makes yet another rousing speech in front of the World Parliament, minus Luthor, but is interrupted by the mysterious superhuman, who kills most of the Parliament (except Diana and Arthur, who fight it off) and kidnaps Clark.

-Bruce begins to plan a rescue/black ops mission that will end with Clark saved, Luthor captured, and America taken.

-Clark is brought to Luthor by the superhuman. The two briefly talk and it's revealed Clark asked Lex to take away his powers because he was tired of holding back, of having to hide his true self, of being an outcast. Lex teases Clark, and then explains he is not alone, which Clark assumed but is moved by nonetheless. Lex tells the superhuman to remove its helmet. END ARC.

 _ACT THREE: CHAPTERS 13-20: Justice_

-Yet again, I don't have this planned out all the way. I have some scenes in my mind, a few details, and a general arc, so that's what I'll provide.

-Basically the superhuman is Kara Zor-El, Clark's cousin. Lex reveals he tried to create a clone of Clark, but it was a bizarre monster (Bizarro) which self-destructed accidently when he sent it to kill Starro (that's what blew up in blue light). Then he was given the greatest gift he could imagine, Kara, whom he imprisoned with Kryptonite and tortured, eventually shaping her into his weapon.

-In another surprising turn of events, Lex explains that he's confident he can remutate Clark's DNA to make him Kryptonian again. His plan is to break Clark, and if he can manage to morph him into his weapon like Kara then he'll give him back his powers. With two Kryptonians and the secrecy behind their weaknesses, Lex would be able to take over the world easily. If he can't "mutate" Clark's morality, he'll just kill him. Clark naturally swears he won't break and he'll save Kara.

-So…planning. Some more DC cameos. Hints of a future romance between Dick and Babs. The nuclear option (read: flooding East Coast) is still on the table, but they'll try the black ops mission and if that fails they'll commit to the flood.

-The first few issues would be a bit slow, and would be character-heavy, focusing on their interactions, a bit more on politics, the chaos of the World Parliament with new leaders, and Lex's attempt at breaking Clark.

-We'd get to know Wally West, the comedic relief and "heart" of the story in a lot of ways, better. Barry Allen died in the Starro War and inspired him to join the rebellion. We'd also meet Hal Jordan, an older fighter pilot.

-Wally volunteers for an extremely risky genetic project that's resulted in the deaths of the dozen previous volunteers. With a changed formula, the rebellion hopes they'll be able to create a super soldier. They attempt it on a stormy night, and Wally is injected with the chemicals. He screams, is dying, when lightning crashes through the window and electrocutes him. He survives, but is knocked into a coma.

-Weeks pass. Bruce becomes a figurehead in the rebellion and is leading the mission.

-Wally wakes up the day before the mission with super speed. He's changed everything. They take it as a sign, Bruce slightly tweaks the plans.

-The day of, Bruce gives a speech that he imagines Clark would give. It's suitably grimmer and more Batman-y, but the team (Dick, Cass, Arthur, Diana, John, Wally, and a few others [likely international heroes like Rocket Red]) feel somewhat inspired.

-It also turns out that Bruce took a speech gave Clark him about symbols (in act two, forgot to mention it) to heart, and has recreated the Bat-suit. It helps inspire him, although he believes this is likely a suicide mission.

-THE MISSION (which would be awesome, believe me).

-Unsurprisingly Clark has not yet been broken. Lex isn't upset. It took a couple years to break Kara.

-Oh, and during the break Kara wreaked havoc on the rest of the world, causing chaos and crippling countries.

-Bruce manages to save Clark, and they use Lex's machine to give Clark powers.

-Yay! The rebellion is kicking ass! Diana and Arthur successfully hold off Kara, and are even winning! Wally beats of Lex's robot drones (who resemble Metallo)! The rebels are overwhelmed, but not yet lost, to a large battalion of LexGuard troops. All is good!

-…Except immediately after giving him powers, Bruce sacrifices himself to save Clark, killed by Lex, who uses his Kryptonite-powered armored suit to beat the shit out of Clark, who, all things considered, is kinda new to his powers.

-…but wait, Lex reveals that he freed his ultimate backup before he came to kill Bruce and Clark—an army of BIZARROS!

-With the help of the Bizarros, the baddies (who have some supervillains among their ranks) beat the crap out of the rebels. Arthur is killed by Kara! Wally is overwhelmed and beaten down by some high-tech supervillain (Captain Cold?).

-In an exceptional feat of willpower, Clark manages to push past his lack of powers and, y'know, the fact that he's dying (thanks to Kryptonite), and uses one of Bruce's batarangs to stab Lex's powercore, causing it to blow up and knocking Lex out, although he's seriously injured.

-He then flies into the sun to refuel, while Wonder Woman fights Kara to a standstill.

-Ultimately, however, it's Clark who has to take her on, moving their battle to the sky (WW can't fly in my story), leaving Diana to help Wally and the others. Because she's a demi-goddess, she obviously does a pretty good job of it. Wally escapes with his life, and in fact manages to beat the villain facing him.

-Clark tries to convince Kara to change, to join them, that she can be good again, but the girl's just a killing machine. So, he's forced to make an impossible decision. In her weakened state, he beats her, despite taking a beating himself. Willpower and something worth fighting for trump killer training (think Supes vs. Zod and MoS), and he's forced to kill her, breaking her neck.

-Naturally, Clark is a mess. There are tons of casualties on both sides. Hal was shot down in the battle.

-Epilogue would likely feature vignettes of a recovering world. The Green Lantern ring finds John Stewart. Dick becomes the new Batman, and Cassandra his sidekick. Mera emerges from the sea, a talented water witch.

-The World Parliament was destroyed and a new World Government created in its place, led by President Clark Kent, who, to honor Bruce, sports a bright, 'S'-like bat symbol on his jacket. It's also on the flag of the world.

-Clark decides to create a task force to protect the world. Wally West, now called the Flash; Diana, Wonder Woman; Dick Grayson, the new Batman; John Stewart, Green Lantern; Mera, Aquawoman; and Clark, taking on the name his father had imagined for him: Superman.

-Hope dawns on a brighter day…

-Oh, and Lois would feature into the story somehow. Winn would have played a role...somehow. I was working on that… XD

…

And holy shit, that's a wrap. God, that's as long as a chapter. Hope you enjoyed following the (kinda…not really) story.

Anyway—the future! For those of you who enjoy all of my writing, check out The Flash: First Steps. I'm finally going to go back to that and finish it. For those who really just prefer darker stories, or perhaps more sophisticated stories, just wait a bit. I have a story coming that, in my opinion, is a lot less "forced," edgy, and depressing, but still quite dark. It's something different for me, but something I think everyone will enjoy.

And yes, it's a Batman story.

Til next time,

CDAlbert


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